Chuck vs Agent Carmichael
by NexTec
Summary: Post-season 2 AU. Sarah's gone and Chuck's different.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N.:** This is my first fan fic. Years ago, I thought I could be a writer but eventually came to the realization I just did not have the talent. So, I wrote for fun but real life intervened and I put it aside. Several months ago, I discovered this site and it inspired me to pick up my pen again. Writing is good fun and great therapy.

This story is definitely post season 2 AU. I have been toying with it for months and finally got the guts to start posting it, thanks in a large part to my great beta, KittyGoddess415. I appreciate comments and constructive criticism, so review and let me know how I am doing.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chuck or anything else to which I might make a cultural reference.

* * *

Charles Carmichael slowly entered the dark apartment, pausing to enter the bypass code into the security system. The system disarmed with a beep but still, he glanced around for something out of place. A glass where it shouldn't be…maybe an open drawer. Paranoid, Carmichael knew, but security systems could be hacked. He should know, as he himself had hacked more than a few. Finally satisfied that no one had been in the apartment, he pitched his keys on the counter as he headed to the small kitchen for a drink. Long day and it was probably going to be a long night.

Jack Daniels, neat.

Martinis were his cover drink but Jack had become his best friend when he wanted to drink for real. Not that Carmichael ever allowed himself that lack of control anymore. A drunk agent was a potentially compromised agent. Besides, drinking tended to bring on a big case of the "if onlys," and he was much more afraid of being compromised by his emotions than by the enemy. Carmichael pulled a glass and a fifth of Jack from the cabinet and poured himself a few fingers. Walking back to the living room, he sat his drink on the end table and flopped in the big leather recliner. The recliner and the table were the only pieces of furniture in the rather bare living room. Without any company, there was no need for furniture.

Carmichael surveyed the austere apartment. No pictures, no mementos, no books, no television, no game consoles…not much of anything really. If it was meant to convey pleasure, Charles Carmichael shunned it. Material things had never meant much to him but in a previous life, he had enjoyed the escape they provided. Now, these things threatened to steal his focus.

This moment of the day was the closest thing to relaxation or meditation he allowed himself. A little time to lock away the demons. He thought about Ellie and realized he had not seen his sister since New Year's Eve, nearly six months ago.

_**Six months earlier**_

_Ellie stared at her brother with her hands on her hips._

"_Chuck, what is wrong with you? Sandra is a great girl! Smart, funny, pretty, not to mention she blew off three other guys to come here and meet you."_

_Carmichael looked at her dully. Forever the kid brother._

"_Charles."_

"_What?"_

"_It's Charles. I'm not thirteen. Chuck makes me sound like I'm in Little League."_

"_Charles, Chuck, whatever. An ass by any other name is still an ass," retorted Ellie._

"_It's not like I was rude to her," countered Carmichael._

_Ellie seethed. "Indifference is rude, _**Charles**_," she emphasized. "Chuck would know that. You know, I invited Chuck to this party, not Charles."_

_Carmichael only stared at his feet._

"_She's gone and she's not coming back, Chuck. It's been over two years. It's time to move on." _

_Ellie continued ranting. "I could just kill her for this. And to think, I thought of her like a sister and thanked God everyday that He brought her to you, to make you whole again." Ellie shook her head. "But, all in all, Jill beat the hell out of Sarah. At least Jill had the decency to break up with you and tell you upfront about screwing Bryce. At least __**she**__ didn't leave without an explanation. Hell, I thought the thing with Jill was bad but at least you were functional. Now, you're just…just…I don't know."_

"_Ellie, you don't understand."_

_Ellie's voice turned quiet, almost a whisper. "You're right, I don't understand. I don't understand how you can throw away everything over someone who apparently never loved you at all. Chuck, her leaving hurt me, too. But, you know what? I'm done with her and I am done with you. You're on your own," she said sadly and quickly turned away to hide her tears._

Carmichael felt a twinge of regret. Had it really been six months since he had last talked to Ellie? He remembered a time when he barely went six hours without some sort of contact with her. It all seemed so long ago. He looked at his nearly empty drink and heard Jack calling.

"Whoa, don't need to go down that road," he thought as he shook the cobwebs out. "Get a hold of yourself. Enough with the remorse. You have things to do."

Carmichael needed to get the daily report out of way so he could take his CIA-prescribed meds and begin his nightly battle to get some sleep. If he was lucky he would get six hours but, more than likely, he would have to make do with four or five. It seemed he never could quite get all of the demons locked away. There was one in particular that was ever present and refused to be exorcised.

"Enough of the lady feelings," Carmichael again chided himself. There wasn't enough Jack on hand for the path his mind was headed down, but it refused to be denied.

_**Two years and eight months earlier**_

_Chuck was not in good shape. He had just uploaded Intersect 2.0 and Bryce was dead. The 2.0 abilities had a habit of popping out unexpectedly and, to top it off, Sarah was cold and distant. At first, Chuck chalked it up to shock. Someone she had loved had just died and someone she was in love with had just re-imprisoned himself, maybe for life. _

_Yes…"in love". It took a while to piece it together:_

"_Chuck, I don't want to save the world…"_

"_She wasn't coming with me…"_

_Between that and what happened in that little __motel in Barstow, he knew she was about to profess her love for him and stay. _

_Then, it all went to hell. Chuck was convinced that Sarah was hurt and angry with him for denying her a normal life. The house, the white picket fence and the 2.5. A normal life with __**him**__._

"_Oh, God," he thought to himself at one point, "How stupid could I be? I have the most perfect, the most beautiful girl in the world in love with me and I threw it away. Why? Duty? This goddamn moral compass I have that has become an albatross around my neck?"_

_Chuck knew he could not have done anything else. If he had, he would not be the man Sarah fell in love with. He knew that…he just hoped Sarah would eventually remember it as well._

_Thankfully, Chuck had spent most of this period at Langley undergoing testing and evaluation. Since he had quit the Buy More, a new cover was in order. His new cover was as an analyst in the newly opened CIA Los Angeles field office._

_His cover for working for the CIA was working for the CIA. How ironic._

_Chuck's time away was explained as training and orientation. Ellie was overjoyed if a bit skeptical. She also sensed something was wrong between Chuck and Sarah._

_Finally, testing was done and Team Bartowski was headed back to LA for good. Sarah had gone ahead a couple of days earlier to help prep the new facility. Once back, Chuck called Sarah only to be met with a disconnect message. At first, it was just a tiny itch at the back of his mind but it began to grow exponentially as the realization of what was happening dawned on him. He called again just to be met with the same message._

"…_number you have called is no longer in service…"_

"_No, no, no nono," he stammered as panic began to set in. He was starting to hyperventilate. _

"_Damn it, Bartowski, breathe…just breathe deep," Chuck said to himself as tried to control his rapidly rising heart rate. He could feel the Intersect coming online, trying to identify the source of his anxiety so it could load the proper skill set to eliminate the threat. It was at times like this when he was the most dangerous. There was no identifiable threat for the Intersect to focus on so he might lash out at anybody. Self-preservation was one of the Intersect's primary directives._

_Chuck tried to remember his breathing exercises. The last thing he needed at the moment was to hulk out. He felt a little like the Incredible Hulk. Mild mannered, nerdy guy who wouldn't hurt a fly, but piss him off…well, a couple of agents found themselves on the wrong side of the Intersect during the evaluation period. Let's just say the Intersect was a take no prisoners kind of computer. _

_The team had been at Langley a few weeks and Chuck had not even come close to repeating what had happened the night Bryce Larkin died. The powers that be decided that the Intersect needed to be tested in a real life situation. One evening, Chuck and Sarah were allowed to go to dinner outside of the facility. Not wanting to go back, Chuck talked Sarah into taking a walk. Two agents, posing as muggers, attacked them. Chuck saw one agent going for Sarah and that was pretty much where his control of the situation ended. Before Sarah could react, Chuck's hand shot out and grabbed her assailant's gun hand while throwing a back kick into the other's face. Giving the unfortunate agent's wrist a sharp twist, Chuck felt an odd satisfaction as the gun dropped to the pavement and the bones cracked beneath his hand. As the agent whimpered, Chuck yanked and spun him around until his arm was securely wrapped around his neck and…what the hell was that sharp pain in the side of his neck!? Chuck's vision began to dim as he dropped the agent to search for the new threat. Things began to get fuzzy…he remembered Sarah screaming his name…and there was that pain again! This time in his shoulder. The Intersect was trying to counteract whatever was happening to him but it became a losing battle when he felt yet another sharp pain in his neck. Darkness claimed him._

_Chuck woke up in what appeared to be a hospital room. His eyes slowly opened as he surveyed his surroundings. Seeing Sarah, he went to get up but something was holding him back. He glanced at his arms. Jesus Christ! They had him strapped down like a goddamn prisoner! Sarah ran to his side and pushed him back down. He could see her anguish as she fumbled to undo his straps._

"_Chuck, calm down. Let me get you out of these."_

_An intercom buzzed to life. "Agent Walker, do not release him!"_

"_He is not going to hurt me," she hissed. "But I can't say the same for the rest of you, so stay the hell out!"_

_Sarah had him out of his restraints and began to run her hands through his curls. _

"_Chuck, honey, are you okay? How do you feel?"_

_Chuck tried to sit up but he was driven back by a wave of nausea._

"_Just lay back," Sarah said softly. "They had to tranq you three times. Apparently, the Intersect has some way of counteracting tranquilizers. You'll probably be woozy for a few more hours."_

_Chuck swallowed, trying to stave off the nausea. "Sarah…why did they tranq me?" _

"_It was a simulation…a test. You had disarmed both agents but you grabbed one around the neck and it looked like you were going to…well…" Sarah left the obvious unsaid._

_Chuck looked at her with horror. "Sarah, I…I never would have killed that guy! The Intersect doesn't have that much control" His voice got quiet. "Please, you have to believe me."_

_Sarah gathered him into a hug and whispered, "I always believe you. I trust you more than anybody in this world." She pulled back to look at him in the eyes. "But I'm not the one who needs convincing." Sarah continued to hold him and whisper how things were going to be okay, how she was going to make everything okay and finally, he fell asleep._

_Chuck awoke in his room alone and strangely enough, the incident was never mentioned again and at first, he was good with that. But, then, he started to get the feeling some momentous decision about his life had been made without consulting him._

_And so it was, Sarah Lisa Walker was gone. His soul mate, the light of his life, and every other sappy cliché was gone. Chuck went everywhere. Her hotel, Castle, his apartment, the Buy More, and finally, the place it all started. The place he ended up after his "first" date with Sarah. The beach. Of course, she wasn't there, just like she was not at any of the other places. Obviously, she had been reassigned. Sarah was the consummate agent, it was not in her to not follow orders. But Chuck felt a need to be here. The place he always thought of as theirs. Chuck sat and watched the waves advance and recede. After a while, he wept._

_Life goes on or at least, that is what Chuck kept telling himself. It is also what Ellie kept telling him in case he forgot. He tried to move on, he really did. Ellie was happy the Buy More was no more and that he finally had a job with potential, a job worthy of him. Now what Chuck needed was a girlfriend worthy of him because apparently, Sarah had not been. Chuck swore Ellie and the U.S. government were in cahoots as the CIA kept sending replacements for Sarah and each one was more beautiful than the previous. Six in all. Three of them found Chuck to be a great person but impossible to work with and asked for reassignment. The other three developed feelings for Chuck and he had them reassigned. Chuck had certainly not encouraged it…it was the tragic hero persona, he guessed. Finally, he told Beckman there were to no longer be any fake girlfriends. He and Casey would go it alone and if they needed an extra agent, they would just pick one from the small pool kept at the new field office. That would work better as he and Casey had actually become fast friends. They drank and commiserated together quite frequently. For a guy whose primary form of communication was a series of grunts, Casey listened well and offered sage advice at the proper intervals. Per his advice and Ellie's urging, Chuck even tried to date a little. He had little trouble securing the first date but second dates were rare. Every girl he went out with sensed the ghost of a great love lost and no one wants to play second fiddle to that, even on a friendly date. Really, Chuck was fine with that. They all were very nice but none were Sarah Walker._

_Unfortunately, his work life was not going much better. The Intersect continued to act out and mission after mission failed. Casey had already warned Chuck that if this kept up, the Intersect project would be terminated and Chuck along with it. He would not pull the trigger but the NSA would send someone who would. However, on the relationship front, things were looking a little better. Chuck had begun to date Megan. If Megan sensed the melancholy undertone to his personality, she didn't let on. On their fifth date, Chuck decided to take her for a walk on the beach…their beach. Perhaps, he sought to banish Sarah's ghost by taking Megan to their spot._

_Unbeknownst to them, Derek Williams was also at the beach though for an entirely different reason. He and Chuck actually had a few things in common. Parents left when they were young. Both were intelligent but that is where the similarities ended. Whereas Chuck had found solace with family and friends, Derek had found his with drugs. At 23, he barely remembered his early years and each moment was only about his next fix. He was at the beach because the competition for turf was just too much in all the normal spots. There weren't a lot of people at the beach this time of night and that was good. Less witnesses. The perfect mugger environment as far as he was concerned. Derek spied Chuck and Megan. Oh man! Easy pickings. Some clumsy geek and his girlfriend out for a romantic stroll. Maybe life was smiling on him for a change._

"_Hey, dude! Dude!" Derek yelled._

_Chuck tried to ignore him but he ran right up to him and Megan._

"_Dude, you got a light?"_

_Chuck became alarmed and he began to feel that familiar tingle in the back of his neck as the Intersect became active and began to analyze the threat._

"_S-Sorry, guy. We don't smoke," he stuttered. Chuck was not scared for his life, just for everyone else's._

_Seeing a knife flash into his field of vision, he heard Megan scream but it seemed far away. Chuck felt his muscles tingle and tense as his adrenaline surged with an artificial boost from the Intersect. For a fraction of a second, it seemed as if his head would explode as terabytes of data suddenly streamed into his consciousness bringing forth the necessary skill sets to eliminate his attacker. Just as suddenly, Chuck's focus narrowed and his eyes grew cold just as Derek made a jab with his knife. Chuck grabbed his arm and pulled Derek forward. He brought his knee up under Derek's arm, hyper-extending the elbow. Derek dropped the knife with a shrill scream of pain and surprise as Chuck dropped to one knee throwing a forward punch to his solar plexus. As he stumbled back, doubling over with a grunt, Chuck came up and delivered a swift snap kick to Derek's face sending him flying backwards in a spray of blood as his nose shattered. Megan shrank into the shadows as Chuck slowly approached the would-be mugger's crumpled form. He reached down and grasped a handful of Derek's long hair. Derek groaned as Chuck pulled his head up and delivered a solid downward blow to the side of his skull. Reaching down to seize another handful of the now bloody hair, Chuck was valiantly fighting the urge to break Derek's neck when he suddenly remembered…Megan! He dropped Derek and looked around but she wasn't there. Chuck ran down the beach calling her name but she was gone._

_Chuck spent the rest of the night and part of the next day trying to call Megan. Not so much to explain but just to make certain she was okay. Her roommate finally answered and said that she was fine but did not want to talk to Chuck. Not surprising after what she had seen. Most people have a difficult time seeing that sort of violence even if it is used for their benefit. Chuck did not try to call her again and she never called back. That was actually fine with Chuck because he had had an epiphany. _

_Emotion was the reason he could not control the Intersect. Chuck knew that. He had been told that many times by many different people. Old news. His first two "hulk outs" were because he thought Sarah was in danger and then, because of his longing and unrequited love for her, he couldn't control it on missions. Now, he had had a third episode because of his growing affection for Megan. The solution was obvious and it, too, had been explained to him many times._

_Control your emotions and control the Intersect._

_But, how? For better or worse, emotion was big part of what defined Chuck. Love and concern for his family and friends. As he lay in his bed staring at the ceiling, it came to him. It was not the best solution or even the solution he wanted, but with Sarah gone, he did not care anymore. It was like every injustice ever done to him had come down on him all at once, crushing his spirit. He was tired and broken. And that was the day Chuck Bartowski died, and Charles Carmichael was born._


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N.:** Here is the next chapter. I appreciate all of the reviews. They really help, both from a technical and a motivational aspect. Keep 'em coming. Also, more big thanks to my beta, KittyGoddess415.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chuck or anything else to which I might make a cultural reference.

* * *

Carmichael felt a cool rush of dry air as he walked down the stairs into Camelot. When the new CIA substation was built, a state of the art facility was constructed beneath it and Castle was removed. He had been involved in the selection of the code name for their new base and he had thought, why not the most famous of castles?

The romantic connotations had not been lost on him at the time, but that had not really been _him_. That had been Chuck Bartowski and Chuck Bartowski was dead.

The sound of rounds being busily shoved into a clip disturbed the quiet hum of equipment fans. Carmichael walked up to a desk, pausing to shuffle some papers and drag his fingers across a keyboard striking a few random keys as they went. With Colonel John Casey, it was always smart to announce your presence.

"So, what government abomination are we expected to participate in today?" Carmichael asked as he walked into the armory.

"And a good day to you, too," Casey grunted. Carmichael continued to stare at him.

"I don't know. Why do you always assume I know? I get briefed at the same time you do," said Casey, a little annoyed.

Carmichael turned and stared at the wall, pretending to pick out his weapons for the mission. Casey knew better. Carmichael's armament never varied: two H&K MK23 .45 caliber handguns, tranquilizer gun, tactical knife, throwing knives, and a backup piece, usually a Semmerling. Maybe a MP-5 and some flash bangs if the situation called for it.

"Oh, I don't know. I think you guys talk behind my back." Carmichael said, only half joking. He was inspecting a Walther P22. A weapon he once called an assassin's gun. A gun he would never carry. Yep, he was definitely working up to something and Casey knew what that something was. It did not happen as often, even so, it was good to know Chuck was still stumbling around in there somewhere.

"Have you heard anything about her?" It was almost a whisper. Carmichael's back was still turned towards Casey.

Casey shook his head, not without a little sadness. "I haven't heard anything but then again, I don't have an Intersect in my head."

Carmichael was still fiddling with the Walther. "I've come to the conclusion that they exclude any pertinent data from my refreshes. You have contacts I don't."

Casey was fairly certain he was right. Carmichael's refreshes came once a week now. He was pretty much was on top of everything intelligence wise but that was all the CIA and NSA needed was a pissed off super Intersect spy going to the rescue of Sarah Walker if she happened to get into trouble.

"Look, if something happens with Walker, I'm sure you'll be the first to know," Casey said. He and Carmichael both knew that was bullshit. The day something happened to Sarah, she would just disappear never to be heard from again. That is just the way it was with deep cover. This wasn't exactly the first time they'd had this discussion.

Carmichael put the Walther back in its proper place on the wall and turned around. Conversation over and back to business.

"Come on, it's almost time for the briefing." Casey followed Carmichael out into the main operations area. Just about the time they settled in front of the large flat-screen monitor, it flashed on.

"Colonel Casey, Agent Carmichael," greeted CIA Director Selene White.

Casey and Carmichael were taken aback. Of course, they knew who Director White was, but she had never taken part in mission briefings before. And General Beckman was conspicuously absent.

"General Beckman is otherwise detained at the moment. This mission is important and time is of the essence," said White, sensing their surprise.

"A Fulcrum remnant cell has captured a high level CIA operative. SIGINT suggests they are not aware of the importance of the agent nor are they sure what direction they should take with the situation. This cell is comprised of low level Fulcrum agents and there appears to be little or no leadership. The agent was recognized and the kidnapping was strictly opportunistic in nature," said White.

Casey had pulled the mission details from the printer and was looking them over.

"Director White, I am looking at the brief and there is not a name or physical description of the agent."

"You are correct, Colonel Casey. It is better for both of you if you do not know. You are familiar with the term 'Need to Know'?" asked White.

"Yes, ma'am, but…," started Casey.

"No buts, Colonel Casey. I think you will recognize the agent. He'll be the only one bound and gagged." snapped White. "Gentlemen, it is of the utmost importance that this agent is recovered. I expect you to execute this mission with your normal efficiency. White out."

Casey and Carmichael glanced at each other. That had be the strangest briefing either of them had ever experienced.

Casey looked at this watch. "Okay, we'll give them to about midnight to settle down before going in. You want to flip for it?

Carmichael shook his head. "No, I'll take it. I owe you one, anyway."

They always played this song and dance but both of them knew Carmichael would be the one going in. Besides being younger and Intersect-enhanced, he seemed to excel at penetration and extraction. Rescuing people was just something he was good at.

"How are you going in?" asked Casey, silently hoping Carmichael would opt for stealth.

"Hmm, I am thinking shock and awe…loud and proud. From the roof. They'll never know what hit them."

Casey groaned. There was a lot of cleanup involved in one of Carmichael's loud and proud operations.

"No worries," Carmichael said grimly as he tapped his temple. "_We_ have it under control."

Carmichael would have had the Intersect running combat simulations in background since reading the mission brief. Again, song and dance. Casey knew he never left anything to chance but still, it disturbed him when Carmichael referred to himself as a "we".

Carmichael started pacing the floor as he always did when explaining the details.

"Okay, I'll blow a skylight and go through using the bungee drop."

Casey groaned louder. Not the bungee. The bungee drop was designed by Carmichael as a faster alternative to a free rappel. Shoot the drop with a laser range finder, set the length of the bungee cord, and jump. Sensors detect when the reaches zero gee…not going up, not going down…and fires quick releases, detaching the dropee from the cord and hopefully depositing him lightly on the ground. It was as scary as it sounded and so far, no one but Carmichael would use it.

"Jesus, Carmichael, not the bungee. You're going to kill yourself and then, Beckman going to have me killed."

Carmichael snorted. "Yeah, right. This coming from someone who's a member of the military branch that used the Fulton recovery system."

"That may be true," grunted Casey. "However, I feel the need to point out that the Fulton was originally developed for the CIA."

"Touché," said Carmichael. "Anyway, it's a perfect setup. Intelligence suggests four targets max. More than likely, they'll be expecting a group attack from the ground. They won't be looking for one guy coming in like Batman."

Casey shook his head. "All right, then what about collateral damage? The CIA isn't going to like it if you slice and dice their agent with shrapnel going in."

"Relax. I'll pick a skylight that's a little ways from the hostage and shape the charges to blow straight down. Unless he's right under it, he'll be fine," said Carmichael.

He had quit pacing. Casey knew that meant the plan was set in stone. There was no need for further discussion and he was fine with that. Whether it was a natural ability or learned from years of gaming, Carmichael was an excellent tactician. Add the Intersect and he was unparalleled. Casey grunted in resignation and pushed himself out of his chair.

"Fine, let's go pull the CIA's ass out of the fire. Again."

**Port of Los Angeles**  
**11:55 PM**

Penetration in t-minus 20 minutes. Casey and Carmichael went over the final details in the dull glow of the van's equipment indicators.

Casey tapped his ear. "Radio check. Bravo up."

"Delta up," responded Carmichael. He glanced at one of the monitors. The abandoned warehouse looked haunted on the low light cameras.

Casey looked at the chrono. "Time."

Carmichael threw his mission bag on his back, quietly popped the door, and slipped out without a word. There was no sign of external surveillance save one sentry. Scratch that. No sentry. Man, these guys really are amateurs, Carmichael thought to himself as he cleaned his knife.

He lightly trotted around the corner of the warehouse, finding the ladder right where it was supposed to be. T-minus 15 minutes. Another dumb Intersect trick. Carmichael always knew what time it was with atomic precision, synced every time the Intersect was refreshed.

Carmichael quietly climbed up the ladder and softly jumped on to the roof. Running to the closest skylight, he punched a small hole in the fiberglass and ran a fiber optic scope through it. He peered around and spotted his targets towards the northwest corner of the warehouse. Three targets and…two dogs.

Shit, dogs. Dogs are always a wild card. You never can predict how they'll react. Oh, well, that's why you carry the tranq gun, he reminded himself.

The warehouse was mostly empty, the only light from the three lanterns the targets had apparently set up. Carmichael twisted the scope from side to side, looking for the hostage. Then, he saw a foot at the edge of the lanterns' pitiful illumination and followed it up until his mind registered the hostage's silhouette. Perfect spot. This skylight would do.

Carmichael went about setting his charges. There would be a lot of bang but just enough actual explosion to shred the skylight. Once this was done, he prepared the bungee drop. Using a small cutter, Carmichael widened the hole just enough to accommodate the range finder. He shot the distance and adjusted the cord appropriately, after finding a support to secure the bungee to. Carmichael stepped out on to the skylight. As he felt it groan slightly under his weight, he adjusted the detonator for a delay of 10 seconds and depressed the button with his thumb.

10…

Pocketing the detonator, he pulled his weapons. MP-5 in his right, tranq gun in his left.

5…

4…

Carmichael took a deep breath and softly spoke what had become his pre-mission mantra since the day Chuck Bartowski died.

"Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam."

There was a sharp crack as the charges went off and Carmichael felt momentarily weightless as the skylight disintegrated beneath him. Thanks to the Intersect, he had an almost preternatural focus. Falling in a cloud of fiberglass and metal shrapnel, his eyes were already tracking the movements of the enemy targets and the dogs. His descent quickly slowed and suddenly, the bungee releases fired, dropping him lightly on his feet.

Startled by the blast and seeing nothing but dust and smoke, the enemy agents were confused and focused on the warehouse doors. The dogs, however, quickly homed in on where the real threat lay and, with a growl and hackles on end, bolted in Carmichael's direction. He brought his left hand up and fired the tranq gun twice. Two for two. Both dogs dropped to the rough concrete floor, one yelping as it did. And, that caught the attention of one of the dog's masters. Whistling an alert to the rest, the closest agent squeezed off three rounds in quick succession. Carmichael jumped to the right as one bullet bit the concrete in front of him and the other two sizzled past him. He rolled through a forward somersault and came up in a crouch, firing a short burst from his MP-5. The enemy agent caught it full in the chest.

Securing his MP-5, he pulled his MK23's and launched himself towards the remaining two agents at a full run. Unnerved at the sight of a lone gunman in full combat gear bearing down on them at an unbelievable rate of speed, they tried to take aim but it was too late. Two double taps, four hits, center mass.

As the last agent fell on his back, Carmichael spun around, guns up, scanning the warehouse for further threats. Standing quietly for a moment, he allowed the Intersect an opportunity to isolate any suspicious noises. There were none, Carmichael and Intersect concurred.

Threat neutralized, situation nominal.

Carmichael felt his muscles relax and a slight loss of focus as the Intersect went to standby. Holstering his weapons, he started toward the hostage.

"Bravo, Delta. Warehouse is cle…."

Suddenly, Carmichael felt an impact on the back of his left shoulder as if someone had struck him with a sledge hammer. He went to his knees as he yelled, "Son of a bitch!" Just as quickly, he spun around and was up, advancing on a seriously freaked out agent who appeared to be struggling with his weapon. One of Carmichael's MK23's suddenly appeared in his hand as he leveled it between the gunman's eyes.

"Getting shot really, _really _pisses me off," he growled.

The Fulcrum agent visibly blanched. Carmichael looked down on him. "Wow. Piss poor shot and your gun's jammed. Bad day to be you."

His finger put the barest amount of pressure on the trigger. Carmichael always had to fight this urge. The Intersect was programmed to eliminate threats, not take prisoners.

His hand began to tremble slightly as he fought the urge. Reasons flashed through his mind as if the Intersect was trying to convince Carmichael that executing the Fulcrum agent was in their best interests. Carmichael mentally pushed, forcing the Intersect back into the area of his brain where he kept it compartmentalized.

"Today's your lucky day," grumped Carmichael as he secured his weapon.

The enemy agent's shoulders slumped in relief as a foot viciously slammed into the side of his head, flipping him over on his side and knocking him cold.

"Jesus Christ, that hurt. I _hate_ getting shot," Carmichael muttered as he turned and walked back towards the hostage. "Bravo, Delta. _Now_ the warehouse is secure."

For once, Casey kept his smart ass comments to himself.

"I'm going to check on our boy."

Carmichael stepped up to the hostage who was slumped over in a chair, hands cuffed behind his back, black bag over his head. Dressed in some sort of baggy coveralls, there were no overt signs of injury but the hostage was definitely out.

"Hey, buddy. The good guys won for a change. You're safe," said Carmichael, as he grasped the bag. A wash of golden hair fell out as he pulled the bag off. Carmichael's eyes widened in recognition.

"Omigod, omigod, it's…it's…," he stammered. "Aw hell, Casey, it's Sarah!


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N.:** For better or worse, here's chapter 3. As usual, big thanks for my reviewers and bigger thanks for my beta, KittyGoddess415...seems the further along I get, the more help I need. Please keep the reviews coming. To be honest, I didn't think I would care that much about the reviews but, ends up, I like 'em.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chuck or anything else to which I might make a cultural reference.

* * *

"…_Casey, it's Sarah!"_

Back in the van, Casey could see Carmichael's heart rate and respiration spike. _Damn, Carmichael, why don't you just broadcast our social security numbers? _

"Delta, watch your vitals and maintain comms protocol."

There was a gash on her forehead and a stream of dried blood down the side of her face. Carmichael felt for a pulse. It was a little weak but to his relief, it was there.

"Casey, we need a medic. She's hurt."

"I'm already on it, Delta. I have your visual. Sit tight.

Carmichael knelt in front of Sarah and methodically began to search her for more injuries, but then found himself mesmerized by her presence. All this time and she still had this effect on him. Damn it, life just couldn't cut him a break.

He closed his eyes, took another deep breath, and let it out slowly. By the time the medic and the rest of the assault team swarmed in, Charles Carmichael was back in control.

**  
UCLA** **Medical** **Center** **Harbor** **City **

Over the years, even before the CIA, Sarah Walker had conditioned herself to wake up but still appear to be asleep. Such was the case, now.

She groggily surveyed her body for damage. _Where am I?_

Opening her eyes with the barest slit, Sarah scanned the room. Her eyes fell on the tall form slumped in a chair.

"Chuck…wha…," she croaked, barely able to speak. Whoever it was quickly got up and moved into the light.

John Casey, she realized, not without a bit of regret. Still, if Casey was here, Chuck would not be far. If Casey noticed the fleeting look of disappointment, he didn't mention it.

"Walker, glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

Sarah brought her hand up to her forehead, feeling the tug of the IV.

"I feel like shit. Head hurts. Bad," she groaned.

"The shit part is a hangover from all the drugs in your system. The headache part, well, it looks like you gave someone reason to smack you on the head. You have a slight concussion," said Casey as he leaned over to inspect her bandages.

Sarah remembered some of it. She gave a couple of the Fulcrum agents more than enough reason to smack her on the head.

"For the most part, you're not in bad shape," continued Casey. "Doc said you'll be back on your feet in a day or two."

"Casey, uh, where is…," Sarah hesitated. She looked down and saw she was wringing her hands.

Casey chuckled. "Don't worry, Walker. Your boyfriend's next door asleep. He's been here the whole time. He hadn't slept in two days and I finally convinced him to go take a nap as long as I woke him up when you came to."

_Boyfriend_, Sarah thought ruefully. _Really and truly, was he ever my boyfriend?_ She looked up.

"Thanks, Casey."

"For?"

"For pulling me out of there."

"Well, no need for thanks. Just doing our job but on behalf of the team, I accept your gratitude," said Casey. He paused for a few seconds. "Just so you know, it wasn't me."

It was Sarah's turn to pause. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it was a team effort, but technically, I didn't pull you out. Carmichael did."

Sarah absorbed this. "Where were you?"

"In the van."

"Was there an assault team?"

"A small one, for backup."

"So, Chuck came in…by himself…took out four Fulcrum agents and two attack dogs…by himself," Sarah repeated.

"Three down permanently…one taken alive…two tranq'ed dogs." After a moment, Casey added, "Carmichael doesn't believe in killing animals. He says it's not their fault."

Sarah nodded. That sounded like Chuck. "I take it he finally got control of the Intersect."

Casey smirked. "You could say that."

"I want to see him," Sarah said as she drew in a deep breath.

Casey turned his back to her as he stared at the wall.

"Well, I promised Carmichael I'd wake him as soon as you woke up. What'cha say we let him sleep a while longer? I think there's a few things you might need to know."

Casey turned around and looked at Sarah solemnly. "No jokes, no bullshit. Before I get started, is there anything you need to know? Something that can't wait?"

Sarah nodded. "Why do you keep calling him Carmichael?"

Casey looked her square in the eye. "Because Chuck Bartowski died the day you left."

Sarah looked at him with question in her eyes.

"Well, he would say it was later than that but it really started when you left. We'll get to that. Anything else?" asked Casey.

"Uh…hmm, any…any girlfriends?" asked Sarah, a little embarrassed.

Casey shook his head. "Sad but no. We'll get to that, too."

Sarah's mood lightened, her heart fluttered a bit at his answer, and then she was immediately ashamed. But maybe, just maybe, it wasn't too late.

Casey grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the bed. He checked his watch as he sat down.

"Let's get on with it. Carmichael seldom sleeps more than four hours at a stretch and he's already been down for two. You just think Carmichael was a mess before…he absolutely imploded after you left. I have never seen anyone so completely and utterly destroyed."

Tears began to stream down Sarah's face. _I didn't want to leave…I had to._

"Walker, how about you keep it together until I finish?" snapped Casey and then a little softer, "Please."

Sarah nodded, sniffing a little.

"Anyway, Carmichael was a mess. We were failing mission after mission. He was misinterpreting his flashes and had no physical control, whatsoever. We were down to the wire. Beckman was about to pull the plug on the Intersect project and the Intersect."

She looked at Casey in disbelief. He put his hand up. "No, I wouldn't have done it but Beckman would've sent someone who would."

Sarah felt sick at her stomach. _Oh my God,_ she thought. _I wouldn't have been here to protect him. __Goddamn it, Beckman promised __me! _

Casey went on. "You know, they kept sending replacements for you. Six in all. One way or another, they all had to be reassigned because of him. After the last one, Carmichael told Beckman no more fake girlfriends. That he and I would just go it alone."

She stared at him.

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't sound like me but Carmichael and I have gotten to be really good friends. You don't know how many nights I had to listen to the lady feelings pouring out of his drunk ass." Casey shook his head. "I feel for him. He's a good kid and doesn't deserve any of this," he said sadly.

Casey fixed Sarah with a icy stare. "He certainly didn't deserve what you did to him," he said.

"Casey…," started Sarah.

Casey once again put his hand up. "Keep it to yourself for the moment. Still my dime."

"Ellie pushed him to date. That was pretty much the same charlie foxtrot as your replacements. Some first dates, not too many seconds. Carmichael did find one girl he kind of liked. They were at the beach and got attacked by a mugger. He came close to killing the punk and the girl hauled ass."

Casey saw Sarah wince. He didn't care.

"He came home, went to his bedroom, and didn't come out for almost two days. Chuck decided that he and the Intersect couldn't co-exist and with you gone, there was no reason for Chuck to continue. So it was Carmichael that came out. Fumbling, bumbling, pain in the ass, Chuck Bartowski was gone."

Casey wondered if he should stop. He needed Walker and the last thing he wanted was for her to have a nervous breakdown. Casey thought about it for a second and then hmphed to himself. Too bad. The CIA skirt was going to get every last gory detail.

"Carmichael was a completely different person. He trained hard. No movies, no video games, no dates, no fear, and no emotions. He started easing away from Ellie, Devon, and Morgan. Carmichael still joked around but it felt forced…like a cover. And not only was he gaining control of the Intersect but he was finding new capabilities."

Casey stopped for a moment. "You know, I shouldn't be telling you this. It's highly classified and since you are not on the project anymore, you don't really have a need to know."

Sarah looked at him with surprise. "Casey, you have to be kidding me. This is Chuck we're talking about."

"I know, Walker, but I'm responsible for his safety. Of course, these days it's more about protecting him from himself but I take it more seriously than anything I ever have before. And over the years, I realized that means protecting the whole man."

Casey looked at Sarah with mild disgust. "I learned that from you even though you forgot it along the way."

"Okay, I'll keep going but only because I think it's in Carmichael's best interest." He let out a long breath.

"So, he is gaining all of these new abilities. They're broke down in three types. First, he still has his old fashioned flashes but now he can force-flash and browse for information like querying a database. His second is a processing ability. He can process ciphers, crack codes, do complex math, and a lot of other cool shit…"

Sarah smiled inwardly at Casey's use of the phrase "cool shit". Chuck's not the only one that's changed.

"…He can run combat simulations and all in the background while he is doing other things."

He was speaking with something akin to awe and pride. Sarah was really starting to like this new version of Casey.

"And finally, the most amazing thing of all. Intersect 2.0's physical manifestations. Of course, he can flash on physical abilities like Kung Fu. We know that from…that night."

Sarah felt a little sad for Bryce. She had loved him, just not the way she loved Chuck.

Casey continued. "But it goes a lot deeper than that. It "boosts" him physically all the way around. That's Carmichael's term for it…boosting. Carmichael's fast. On a regular day, he's faster than anyone I have ever seen. His reflexes are incredible. And if he needs a little extra, he can boost and temporarily become faster and stronger."

"As we know, he can flash on any number of skills: fighting, weapons, spy craft, but even though they fade once they are no longer needed, Carmichael can then learn that skill at a much, _much _faster rate than a normal person. Six months at kung fu and he was already at a black belt. He's a force to be reckoned with even without the Intersect."

Sarah suddenly spoke. "Delta."

"What about Delta?" asked Casey, curiously.

"A rumor about this bad-ass operative on the West Coast code-named Delta. Chuck's Delta, isn't he?"

Casey nodded.

"Okay, let me get this straight. I have been gone not quite three years and in that time, Chuck's become James Bond."

Casey actually laughed. Sarah was not sure she had ever seen Casey actually laugh. Out loud.

"Well, more Jason Bourne crossed with the Terminator, but yeah, that's about the gist of it."

This was hard for Sarah to wrap her head around but there was one thing that really concerned her.

"Casey, has it changed him? Is he like…well, us?"

Casey thought for a moment. "Even though Carmichael says Chuck is dead, he retains Chuck's baseline morals. He still has this unshakable sense of right and wrong. He would still sacrifice himself for just about anyone and there are a couple of things he just won't do, no discussion."

"Like?"

"Like assassinations. Carmichael will not kill an unarmed person in cold blood. Hell, for a long time, you couldn't get him to make a kill shot in combat. There's no telling how many enemy agents there are in federal detention that were knee-capped courtesy of Carmichael's refusal to kill."

Sarah smiled. That sounded like Chuck.

"What else?" asked Sarah.

"Seductions. He won't do seductions."

Sarah really smiled because this pleased her to no end. "Why?"

Casey shrugged. "Carmichael just says it's not his thing. He told Beckman not to push him about it if she wanted his continued cooperation."

"But you don't believe that," said Sarah.

Casey did not speak. He just shook his head. Sarah stared at her legs for a full minute, tapping her fingers on the bed sheets.

"And your theory is…?"

Casey smirked. "Oh, it's no theory, Walker. Like I told you, Carmichael and I have become friends. We used to tell each other a lot of things when we were blitzed. He probably doesn't even remember telling me."

This drinking thing kind of worried Sarah. Many agents had gone down that road.

"Does Chuck drink a lot?"

"Not anymore."

She was relieved to hear that, but that brought them back to the subject at hand.

"Quit dragging this out, Casey. Please tell me why he won't do seductions."

Casey's face softened. "Because of you, Sarah. Deep down, Chuck feels like he's cheating on you. That's why the dating thing never really worked out for him, either."

Casey had used her first name and Chuck's real one, so she knew he was serious. It did not surprise Sarah because she felt the same way. She started to tear up again. This time, Casey let her go.

"We weren't expecting you but your timing's good. He doesn't have a life, Sarah. He doesn't read, watch movies, or hang with family. Emotionally, Chuck's not a wreck. He just isn't there. For me, it's fine…it's just who I am but this isn't Chuck."

Casey's face got very sad. "All of this just keeps getting easier and easier for him and one day, he's going to crack and when he does...let's just say, that's not a comforting thought with someone as lethal as Carmichael. So, you hanging around?

Sarah nodded through her tears. _I never should've left. I was stupid._

"You're not going to up and leave again?"

Sarah shook her head. _No way in hell._

Casey stood up and said, "Good, let's see if we can get Chuck back. Oh, and a warning, Ellie hates your guts. She blames you for her estrangement with Chuck. You're going to have to be really patient with her."

Again, Sarah nodded. She would fix that too. "Got it."

Once more, Casey fixed Sarah with a look. "You knew about their abandonment issues. Leaving like that was the worst thing you could have done. You didn't think it through but now you might have a second chance and you'll probably be saving his life. Don't let me down…don't let them down and don't be shocked. Chuck's different."


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N.:** Sorry it took so long, here's chapter 4. As before, big thanks for my reviewers and biggest thanks for my beta, KittyGoddess415. This story certainly wouldn't be as good without her invaluable help.

Couple of things...I am bumping the rating to M. This chapter has a few f-bombs and the violence might be a little uncomfortable for some people. Nothing too bad, though. And I am trying the horizontal rules for separating different scenes/views since this stupid editor seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to line breaks. Thanks for sticking with the story and please review. It really means a lot to me.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chuck or anything else to which I might make a cultural reference.

* * *

As Casey walked out of the room, Sarah looked around and patted her hands on the bed in nervousness. God, what would he say to her? At one point in time, she was not going to leave, no matter her orders. They were in love. Neither one of them had really said it but both of them knew it. Then, she took the reassignment without a fight. Beckman's argument was compelling but still, she should have fought for them.

Sarah looked up as the door to her room opened and Carmichael hesitantly walked in. _Oh my God_, she thought as she drank him in. _Oh my God, he looks good!_

Carmichael was still in his BDU pants and was wearing a form-fitting black t-shirt that accented his muscular frame. The curly mop was gone, replaced by a much shorter wavy cut. His face was shadowed by a two day growth and it held a small cautious smile that, to Sarah's dismay, didn't reach the rest of his face. That was the one thing Sarah had missed most of all…that megawatt smile. She was going to put that smile back on that face if it was the last thing she did.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Carmichael let out a shaky breath. "It's good to see you, though the circumstances kind of suck."

"Yeah, not exactly the way I had pictured our reunion," Sarah said sadly. She had played that scenario in her head a thousand times. They always ended up naked.

The two of them were silent for a moment. Sarah was not sure if she had ever seen Chuck Bartowski at a loss for words.

Carmichael finally broke the silence. "So what have you been up to?"

Sarah looked at him a little confused. "You mean you don't know?"

Now, it was Carmichael's turn to be confused. He just shook his head.

"Hello, the Intersect? Knows all, sees all?" Sarah tapped the side of her forehead.

"Hmm, they excluded your data from my refreshes."

Sarah nodded. That would make sense. "I'm out of deep cover and I was headed back to DC but I had to see you. See how you were."

"I'm well," said Carmichael guardedly.

"How are Ellie and Devon?" asked Sarah.

"As far as I know, fine. I haven't seen them in a while. Work's been busy. Saving the world is a full time job but you know that, right?" he said somewhat spitefully.

"Damn it, Chuck, I didn't want to go. It was orders."

Carmichael's eyes flashed with emotion for the first time since he had entered the room. "Orders? Really? A few months before, you were ignoring orders. You went rogue for me. You were going to quit the CIA for me. When did orders become so goddamn important?"

"I was following orders for you. For your good," Sarah said quickly.

Carmichael started to open his mouth and then closed it. His expression hardened and his voice became emotionless. "Well, it doesn't matter, what's done is done. Right now, you need to rest. Once you're discharged, we can get you debriefed so you can be on your way. The captured agent has been pretty talkative and if he can be believed, you being snatched was just a fluke. Wrong place at the wrong time."

Sarah nodded, letting the comment slide. _On my way?_ "They didn't seem to be very bright. Most of their questions revolved around why I was in LA. Nothing about my last assignment or the Intersect."

"They weren't bright. Not only did they snatch you for no specific reason but then they went blabbing about it on an unsecured cell phone. That's how we found out about you…an ECHELON intercept."

"Well, thank God for the NSA but don't tell Casey I said that," chuckled Sarah.

Carmichael looked at her blankly. "You know, you should have let your bosses know you were stopping in LA. One of the CIA's top operatives shouldn't be running around off the grid."

Sarah looked at Carmichael sadly and gave him mock salute. "Aye aye, Cap'n." She smiled slightly. "You didn't used to be such a stickler for the rules."

Carmichael's face was still impassive. "Yeah, well, look where it got me."

Sarah looked distressed and went to speak but Carmichael held up his hand. "Look, that's all ancient history and you're supposed to be resting. I'm going to go clean up and I'll be back here in the morning to pick you up and get you debriefed. I'm leaving an agent to keep an eye on you so go to sleep and that's an order." Without waiting for a response, he slipped out the door and he was gone.

Sarah just sat there looking dumbfounded. _What the hell just happened?_ That did not go at all like she had envisioned. _Crap._

_

* * *

  
__Sarah and Chuck were walking in the park. These were the times when things between them had been perfect. How could she have left him? She felt his sudden absence and looked around for him. Suddenly, Sarah saw him. Chuck was standing there with the agent's __head in a headlock. He reached behind the agent's head and gave it a violent wrench. As the agent's head lolled at an unnatural angle, Chuck looked at Sarah and said, "I did it for you, Sarah." He gestured at the field and she saw bodies strewn everywhere._

"_I did it all for you," continued Chuck as he dropped the agent's body._

Sarah sat straight up in the bed as she drew in a raspy breath. She did not scream. Screaming was a sure way to attract attention and, in her business, that was a good way to get dead, but she was sweating profusely. As she looked around for a cloth, Sarah spotted him. Chuck was sitting in a chair across the room, asleep.

_He came back_, Sarah thought. _That's good, right? Chuck wouldn't stay here for days sleeping in an uncomfortable chair for just anyone, would he?_

Sarah did not think so. _I should just go get him and bring him back to bed._ But she didn't. Her heart had not ached this much since the day she left.

She let out a quiet sigh as she lay back on the bed and turned her head so she could see him. Chuck had changed quite a bit physically. That certainly wasn't a bad thing but it wasn't important. Chuck was the near legendary Delta.

_How was I ever lucky enough to come across the likes of Chuck Bartowski?_ He was brilliant, brave beyond measure, and simply the best human being she had ever known. Chuck was absolutely capable of doing all of the things she had heard about Delta but her fear was that this life had taken his humanity, his goodness, what made him such a wonderful man. _And it was my fault._ _My own damn stupid fault_

Sarah knew people would point out that she had saved his life. If she had not sacrificed her future with Chuck and allowed herself to be reassigned, he would have been terminated.

_Damned if I did, damned if I didn't. What was I supposed to do? Grab him and run. That's what I should've done._ Sarah had done it once when the stakes weren't as high. Why had she caved to Beckman? The only thing she could figure was that she was overwhelmed, close to a nervous breakdown, and she did what she always did when things got tough emotionally…she ran. Bryce was dead..._did I love him, did I ever love him?_ Sarah thought she had that all figured out until she saw his body in the Intersect room.

Sarah's mind kept railing at her. _You are definitely in love with Chuck and had chosen him. For once in your life, you were being selfish and thinking about your happiness. But all of that was ripped away from you. Then the government you had sacrificed so much for told you that they were going to terminate the man you loved unless he started performing and his fate was in your hands._ It all had been too much.

What she had done seemed selfless but she had been a coward. Within days, Sarah knew she had made a mistake but it was too late. She was on her way to her deep cover assignment and to pull out at that point would have possibly cost many lives and negated the lives already sacrificed in pursuit of that mission.

From the day she had realized her mistake, Sarah was making plans for her return and hoped in her heart that Chuck would wait on her even though he did not know she was coming back. But coming back she was and she worked her ass off day after day to get back as quickly as possible. Now she was back and she wanted Chuck. People seldom got a first chance at this kind of love, much less a second, and she would be damned if she would blow it. Feeling more satisfied with herself and her decisions than she had in a long time, Sarah slowly drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Carmichael silently watched Sarah sleep. She looked so innocent with her sleep tousled hair. _Sarah, why are you here? There's no doubt I loved you but I'm not the same guy you fell in love with. I'm not sure I'm capable of love anymore._

Sarah stirred and opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw Carmichael.

"Hey, you came back," she said, happily.

"I don't sleep much," said Carmichael. "I figured I'd come in and let the duty agent off early."

Sarah's smile slowly disappeared. She had hoped he was back because of her.

Carmichael seemed unaffected by her waning happiness. "Well, you're being cut loose. What are your plans? After you're debriefed, that is."

"Well, my plan was to stay a few days and visit with you and Casey…maybe, go see Ellie and Devon."

Carmichael gave a low whistle. "I'm not so sure visiting Ellie is a good idea. You're not one of her favorite people."

"I get that. I just wish I could explain the circumstances," Sarah said wistfully. "I might go anyway. You know I love Ellie like a sister."

"Okay, what are your immediate plans?"

"I guess look for a hotel…," she began. Carmichael stopped her.

"No, you'll stay with me. Until we're certain the kidnapping was just a fluke, it'll be better if we keep you in a controlled environment."

Sarah smiled widely and nodded. She definitely did not have a problem with that.

"Good, that's settled. I'll get a nurse to get that IV out so you can get dressed. We recovered your luggage. It's in there." Carmichael nodded toward a closet. "See you outside."

Carmichael pushed out into the sterile hall. He stole a quick glance back and forth. This was not Devon's hospital and Ellie was in private practice now but you could never tell. He walked up to the nurse's station and asked to have someone step in and remove Sarah's IV. Walking back across the hall, he leaned back against the wall next to the entrance to Sarah's room. Carmichael pulled out his phone and hit speed dial.

"Casey, secure."

"Carmichael, secure. We're about to leave here, headed to my apartment."

"Damn, Walker blows into town and she's got you playing house already."

"Shut up. It's more secure if she stays there."

"She'd be even more secure at Camelot."

"I'm not going to make her sleep in a detention cell."

"Hmph. So, how long is Walker staying?"

"She says a few days. We can get her debriefed in the morning.

"Hmm, she probably plans on de-briefing you tonight."

"Do you ever quit?"

"Nope. So, you going to sleep in that ratty recliner of yours? Last I remember, you only got one bed."

"I'm well aware I only have one bed. CIA's bringing in some stuff."

"Well, that's just a waste of taxpayer's money. Seeing as only one's probably gonna end up getting used."

"Very funny, laugh it up. I'll call you the morning."

Carmichael stuffed his phone back into his pocket. _Stupid Casey._

_

* * *

_

Sarah looked around at the inside of the car as Carmichael wheeled out of the hospital parking lot.

"A Crown Vic? Really?

Carmichael looked amused. "Yes, really. First of all, it's not mine, it's government issue and second, it's perfect for what we do. It's nondescript and has a trunk big enough to carry a whole assault team."

Sarah shook her head, bemused. "I'm sorry but speed is the most important thing in a car to me."

"This is a police interceptor model so believe me, it has plenty of speed. And I had a few modifications made," said Carmichael. "Oh, are you hungry?"

"Starved. The hospital food was starting to get to me."

"Good. I called ahead for pizza. Supreme sans olives. That okay?" asked Carmichael.

Sarah smiled. He hadn't forgotten. _Maybe this wasn't a lost cause, after all._

"Perfect."

* * *

_  
_Thomas Riley was not sure how he had gotten talked into taking the wife and kids out for pizza. It had been a long week. He just wanted to kick back and drink a beer or six. The damn boss had been riding his ass all week and now he had to listen to his wife and the screaming brats. His life sucked.

Thomas eked out a modest living as a sheet metal fabricator for a local air conditioning and heating company but that had not always been his life. He had been a mechanical engineer, working for one of the most prestigious firms in Los Angeles but unfortunately, one night, as Thomas returned home from work, a drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into the side of his car.

Rushed to the hospital, it seemed that Thomas had been very lucky as he was released a few hours later with a slight concussion. However, if they had gone to the trouble of doing a brain scan, they would have noticed a marked decrease in activity in Thomas's left temporal lobe.

Thomas became an angry person, prone to violent outbursts. Over the next couple of years, his life headed downhill as medications and treatments did nothing to help. His bursts of anger cost him his job and eventually caused him to be shunned by the engineering community as a whole. His wife, Whitney, stuck by his side, claiming that none of this was his fault. Regrettably, his issues kept him from seeing the sacrifices his wife was making.

And right now, somebody was going to be doing some serious regretting if they didn't shut the hell up.

"Will you shut those goddamn kids up before I stop this car and shut them up myself?" Thomas growled quietly. His vision was starting to take on a red tinge like it always did before his most violent episodes. He was trying to keep his anger in check, he really was but those damn kids just…would…not…shut…up.

"Guys, hey guys! Be quiet. Dad's trying to drive," Whitney begged. _Thank God, we're here_, she thought as Thomas turned into the parking lot of the pizzeria. Having people around would go a long way toward curbing his anger.

But, it was too late and Thomas was too far gone. He screeched to a halt and bailed out of the car with Whitney not far behind him. Jerking open the door to the back seat, he reached in, making a grab for his oldest son. Whitney came up behind Thomas and grabbed him by the arm.

"Please, Thomas, they'll be good. I promise. Let's go in and get you a beer. You deserve it," pleaded Whitney.

The minute she touched his arm, Whitney realized her mistake. Thomas swung around towards her, his face, an unrecognizable and indescribable mask. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to…his eyes said it all. For the first time in her existence, Whitney Riley was afraid for her life.

* * *

Finally, having wiggled the Crown Vic into a ridiculously small parking space, Carmichael put it into park and glanced out the window. _What's going on over there?_ It appeared to be a man and woman arguing.

Suddenly, the man's fist lashed out and struck the woman, knocking her against the adjacent car and down on the ground. Carmichael hesitated for moment. Spies and operatives should not get involved in these types of things. Bad for the cover.

Now, the man was advancing on the woman, obviously intent on doing her more harm.

_Shit, shit, shit._

Carmichael turned to Sarah. "Stay here."

Sarah, who had noticed the altercation as well, shook her head. "No. We shouldn't get involved. Somebody will call 911."

"_We_ aren't getting involved. _You _are staying in the car. She could be dead by the time the cops get here. Can't let that happen."

"Be careful," Sarah said with resignation. She wanted to tell him she loved him.

Carmichael opened the car door. "No worries. We have it under control. Now, I'm going to put the car into defense mode. Once that's activated, it'll take nothing short of a Hellfire missile to get in here."

He stepped out and closed the door. Carmichael pointed a fob at the car and pushed a sequence of buttons. Sarah heard a series of clicks and a red light popped on with a beep. Carmichael turned and headed across the parking lot at a brisk pace.

* * *

_  
Okay, the main thing is to talk him down, calm him down, give the cops time to get here._

Carmichael's mind was running through his options. He did not want to physically intervene as that would make it a lot harder to walk away from this with no undue attention from the few people that had gathered.

As he approached the scene, Carmichael made sure to maintain a respectable distance between him and the man. No need to spook him.

"Hey, man. Everything okay?"

"Mind your own fucking business." Thomas looked Carmichael up and down. _Who is this moron?_

"Look, when you decided to hit your wife in the middle of a public parking lot, it kind of became everybody's business. Why don't you and I go sit down and have a talk? Maybe one of these nice people will check on your wife," Carmichael said calmly.

"I think you need to go fuck yourself. This bitch has screwed with me for the last time," Thomas said shakily as turned back to Whitney. He was starting to tremble all over. Carmichael was losing him.

That was when Carmichael noticed a little girl push herself out of the backseat of the car and head for Thomas. To his dismay, Carmichael felt something that shouldn't be happening. A small tingle that started at the base of his skull and crept down the back of his neck, spreading to the rest of his body as it went. The Intersect was coming online, unbidden.

The little girl reached out and tugged on Thomas's pants leg. "Please, Daddy, don't hurt Mommy."

Thomas's head snapped around and, without thinking, his hand lashed out. The next instance, the little girl was laying on the ground, crying. Thomas turned his head back towards the moron. _This is all his fault. He should have stayed out of it._

Just as he turned, Carmichael back-handed him. Hard. Carmichael boosted the slap, just a little, just enough so Thomas wouldn't forget it. Thomas was not likely to forget his fractured jaw for a while.

Thomas was knocked against his car, putting a dent in the fender, but he did not go down. After shaking his head, he threw himself at Carmichael. Another unfortunate symptom of his old brain injury was poor judgment.

Carmichael sidestepped Thomas, tripping him and at the same time, twisting and giving him a hard jab to the kidneys as he fell. This time, Thomas went to the ground, face first. He would not be likely to forget this either as the blood in his urine would be a periodic reminder for the next week.

He stood rigidly, waiting for Thomas to get up. _Don't get up, don't get up, don't get up. _Shit, he was trying to get up.

Carmichael began to speak quietly. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Do you know how lucky you are…"

* * *

Sarah began to panic. She had to get out there, get to Chuck, but she was locked in. Chuck had failed to mention that it would also take a Hellfire missile to get out as well. Sarah scanned the dashboard looking for some way to deactivate the car's defense mode. Damn it, she had been out of the high tech side of the game too long. She didn't recognize any of the…wait, there was something she recognized. The external surveillance processor. She might not be able to get out but at least she would be able to keep up with what was happening.

Sarah flipped it on and waited for the processor to filter the background noise and fixate on speech. She tuned it a touch until she got what she wanted.

"…_lucky you are? You have a wife and kids that obviously love your sorry ass. Do you know what I would give for that? Do you? I should just do everybody a favor and kill you now. You good for nothing motherfucker._"

Sarah's hand flew to her mouth. _Oh my…oh…please God, don't let him do this…please_.

* * *

Thomas had tried to get up but Carmichael planted an axe kick across his back, slamming him flat on the asphalt. His severely bruised T1, T2, and T3 vertebrae would be a constant reminder of his lack of judgment for the next three weeks.

Carmichael slowly approached Thomas. The world really would be better off without this worthless piece of shit. Unexpectedly, Thomas's little girl ran up and flung herself across her father.

She looked up at Carmichael with fear but there was a determined look in her eyes. "Please, mister. Don't hurt my Daddy anymore. He's sick. He can't help it."

A sudden burst of clarity hit Carmichael and the Intersect went quickly and completely offline. He looked around, blinking his eyes, noticing the size of the crowd for the first time. The little girl was still looking at him expectantly. Everybody was looking at him expectantly.

Carmichael opened his mouth but was struck mute. He didn't know what to say. What could he say? Finally, he muttered, "I…I'm sorry," more to the little girl than anybody. Then he quickly spun around and headed for the Vic. Once in the car, he threw it in drive and squealed out of the parking lot.

* * *

The police arrived a few moments later. One of the officers started looking Thomas over while they waited for the ambulance. The officer whistled to himself. The wife and the daughter would be fine, but this guy would be hurting for a while. From what they had gleaned from the crowd, the bastard had deserved it. Punched the wife, slapped the daughter, and generally terrorized the rest of the children. It was a shame his wife probably wouldn't press charges.

And sadly, the husband probably would want to press charges against the Good Samaritan who had kept him from making the biggest mistake of his life. A bit violently, perhaps, but still…

The strangest thing was no one seemed to have gotten a good look at this guy. From a crowd of maybe, fifteen people, descriptions ran from short to tall, skinny to fat, fair to dark. Hell, one woman claimed he was Hispanic.

Descriptions for his car weren't any better. Everything from a Kia to a Hummer. The only person that had given them a precise description was Thomas Riley, but his mental state made him suspect.

The officer smiled to himself. _Oh well, can't catch someone if you're not sure what they look like._


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N.:** Seems I am continually apologizing for the amount of time it takes to get a chapter out. Unfortunately, real life takes precedence...wife, kids, dogs, job, in-laws (bleh). It is what it is, but I am going to say I am sorry anyway. So, here's chapter 5...a little slower...a little shorter but hopefully, still a good read. I am also switching back to a T. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I guess I am just unfamiliar with the territory and did not want to offend anyone.

Massive thanks to my beta, KittyGoddess415. It means a lot when someone takes time out of their busy life to help you with something.

As before, thanks for sticking with the story and please review. It makes my day.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chuck or anything else to which I might make a cultural reference.

* * *

They rode in silence.

Carmichael had not said anything and Sarah was still reeling from what had just happened. _What has the Intersect done to him?_

The incident in DC had been different. Chuck had not been in command of the Intersect then. But, now, he was supposed to be in control. But who was controlling whom? It was as if there was only the Intersect and Chuck was just a cover. A façade so the Intersect could operate in the real world.

"What was that all about?"

Carmichael's gaze never wavered from the road. "Saving that woman? Isn't that what I do? Save people?"

"No, I mean the man. Roughing up the civilian."

"Nothing the bastard didn't deserve. So, he spends the next week or two laid up in the bed. Maybe he'll think twice before he hits his wife and kids. Besides, he attacked me."

"Actually, you hit him first," Sarah said quietly.

"The back-hand? That was just a little behavior correction. Something to teach him not to hit," said Carmichael with a somewhat evil smile. "I think he'll remember it for awhile."

_Ah, hell, might as well throw it out there._ "You know what I think? I think you were about to kill him until his little girl intervened," said Sarah.

"Kill him?" Carmichael chuckled humorlessly. "Please, Sarah. I'm the Intersect. If I had wanted him dead, he would be dead."

Sarah turned her head to look out the window, mostly so he wouldn't see her sadness. _I came here to find Chuck but it looks like I'm too late. Maybe I should just debrief and be on my way._

She was surprised at her own thoughts._ No, damn it! That was not Chuck back there and I will not just be on my way. That was…I don't know who…Carmichael, the Intersect, whoever. The one thing I do know is I'm sticking by him and I'm going to bring Chuck Bartowski back into the light._

_

* * *

_

Carmichael unlocked the door and stepped through, pausing to disarm the alarm. He took his usual look around before allowing Sarah to enter.

"I'm going to put your bags in the guest bedroom," Carmichael said as he closed and locked the door. Sarah glanced around the spartan apartment as he moved past her.

What she saw broke her heart. Given their history, Sarah did not expect to see pictures of her, but surely, he would have had photos of Ellie and Devon. Instead, there were bare walls. _Let's be honest. What would the Intersect need with pictures?_

Sarah jumped when Carmichael spoke. "Sarah, are you okay? It looks like you blanked out for a second. Your head bothering you?"

_Crap, he's a lot quieter than Chuck._ "No, I-I'm fine. Just loving what you've done with the place," joked Sarah, trying to put the whole parking lot incident aside for the moment.

"Yes, well, I'm a busy guy. I haven't had time to decorate. Besides, it seems like such frivolous gesture with the world being what it is," said Carmichael.

"A frivolous gesture?" asked Sarah, incredulously. _This from a guy who had a Tron poster on his wall?_

"Come on, Sarah. We see the world for what it really is," answered Carmichael as he walked into the kitchen. "We do what we do so the rest of the world can have their illusion"

Carmichael reached into the cabinet and pulled out the bottle of Jack. "Would you like a drink? Sorry, J.D.'s all I have."

"Yeah…yeah, I will. I think I need one." _Or two or three._

Carmichael handed Sarah her drink and gestured to the recliner as he sat on the floor. "Have a seat."

"Chuck, is this the only chair you have?" Sarah asked as she sat down.

"I'm hardly ever here and when I am, it's just me."

Sarah took a long pull on her drink and shook her head. "What happened, Chuck?" _More like, what happened to Chuck?_

Carmichael smiled grimly. He tapped his forehead. "This happened." And he added, "And, you happened."

Sarah just stared into her drink.

"Look, I'm sure Casey has given you the whole story of poor little Chuckie and his transformation into big, bad Carmichael, so why don't we just cut to the chase? Why are you here, Sarah?"

Carmichael looked away and while it was not the emotional response Sarah had hoped for, at least it was an emotion.

"Like I said, I came to see you. Right after I left, I realized I had made a mistake, leaving you."

Carmichael still would not make eye contact. "And like I told you, what's done is done. I forgive you. You can move on."

Sarah could not take it any longer. She got up and sat down beside Carmichael. Grabbing his face, she turned it towards her. "Chuck, that's just it. I don't want to move on. I want you."

Sarah leaned in and kissed Carmichael. Softly at first but then harder as she poured her heart and soul into the kiss, trying to communicate everything she had been feeling for the last three years.

No response.

She might as well have been kissing a statue. Breaking the kiss, she pulled back and looked into his face. There was no expression.

Carmichael sighed. "Look, Sarah, you'll always have a special place in my heart but I'm not that guy anymore. I do what I do for the greater good. This is what I am now."

He stood up and offered Sarah a hand to help her up. "Now, I'm going to go to bed and I suggest you do the same. We have to be in early for your debriefing. Good night."

* * *

Carmichael softly closed his bedroom door. He sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. _Damn it, she left me! She's the one who disappeared without a word. She can't just reappear and think things can be like they were…that I would be like I was. I'm different. Really different._

Of all the things he had done in his life, pushing Sarah away was the hardest but it was the best thing for everyone.

Some things just aren't meant to be.

* * *

Sarah stood in the living room staring into her now empty drink. None of this was going as she had hoped. He was different. Really different. The old Chuck certainly would not have done what she had seen him do tonight, but, hey, she was no saint.

_Lord, what kind of hypocrite would I be to give up on Chuck because he damn near beat some low life to death? He's killed people, I've killed people but it's not like we do it for fun. Like me, he's done what he's had to do._

Sarah meant what she said about pulling Chuck back into the light and she knew exactly what she was going to do. Sarah smiled. _Mr. Carmichael doesn't know it yet but he has just become a short timer._

Waltzing down the hall to the guest bedroom, Sarah hummed to herself. _Time to get some sleep. I've got an early debriefing and then I have some phone calls to make._

After all, some things were just meant to be.

* * *

Casey was pleased. The debrief went well, no surprises. The captured agent had been talkative and his story fit perfectly with what Walker had just told them. Just some low life Fulcrum agents trying to get their foot in the door with the Ring by offering up a top CIA operative. Running across Sarah Walker was like having a golden ticket dropped in their lap. Who could blame them?

Leaning back in his chair, he thought about the debriefing. Walker had looked like the cat that swallowed the canary whereas Carmichael had just looked unsettled. Normally, around people other than Casey, he was ice…cold and hard. Casey couldn't put his finger on it but, today, Carmichael was just...off.

Casey smirked to himself. Maybe, Walker was already working the magic. Maybe, she could make this happen.

"Well, Carmichael, you two have a nice visit, last night?" asked Casey, innocently.

"Yeah, Casey, we had a nice visit. You know, showed each other pictures of the family, caught up on each other's careers. It was a regular college reunion," snapped Carmichael.

"Damn, ain't we touchy? What's wrong? Walker didn't have any peanut butter for your chocolate?

"Jesus, Casey, what is it with you and chocolate and peanut butter? Why don't you go get a Reese's peanut butter cup and just be done with it?" Carmichael started slamming files into his satchel.

Casey grinned despite himself. Not only was Carmichael irritated…Carmichael was pissed. He seldom got angry, especially for no discernable reason.

_This is good. This is very good._

"Where is Walker anyway?" Casey felt the need for a cigar. Too bad he couldn't smoke in Camelot. Stupid regulations.

"I don't know. She walked up top. Said something about making some phone calls." Carmichael was still stuffing files into the satchel.

"Are you going to stuff the whole damn filing cabinet into that bag?"

Well, there're no missions for a few days. I thought I would get caught up on some paperwork." Carmichael was rubbing his forehead.

Casey looked casual. "I thought you would be babysitting Walker."

"Umm, she's going to hang around a day or so to visit. We'll probably go out to dinner or something before she leaves. You should go."

Casey smiled. "I wouldn't think of intruding on you two kids."

Carmichael looked flustered. "Casey, for once and for all, I do not have the time or the inclination for a love life much less with Agent Walker." He looked at his feet. "That ship sailed a long time ago."

Casey got up and slapped Carmichael on the shoulder as he passed. "Carmichael, I know it would surprise you to hear me say this but sometimes, a little romance is good for the soul."

He headed to the stairs but paused momentarily. "I couldn't go tonight anyway. I have a date."

Carmichael cocked an eyebrow. "You? A date? Bullshit. With who?"

"The lady Army recruiter by the Buy More. Hey, don't look at me like that. We have a lot in common." Casey said sheepishly. He turned and headed up the stairs, talking as he went.

"We won't be doing this forever, Carmichael. It would be nice to have someone to grow old with. Think about it."

* * *

**Later, that night.**

**Fort Meade, Maryland**

General Diane Beckman looked up from the file she was reading as Selene White walked through the door.

"Diane, I need a word."

The use of her first name irritated Beckman. She was a general, for God's sake!

"It's late."

"You're here, I'm here. What's late got to with it?

Beckman sighed and took a sip of her drink. "Make it quick, Director White.

White sat down and crossed her legs. "Did you know Agent Walker was out of deep cover?"

"No, I did not. Agent Walker ceased to be my concern when she left the Intersect team." Beckman answered irritably. "Don't tell me you drove all the way from Langley to tell me that."

"Oh no, there's more. As is customary with returning deep cover agents, she has been given her choice of assignments," White said pleasantly. "Agent Walker has requested LA."

Beckman looked back at the file in her hands. "No."

White leaned back into her chair a bit. "I'm letting you know as a courtesy, Diane. I'm not asking your permission."

"The Intersect team is mine and as such, I choose its members. And don't think for minute I've have forgotten about your little impromptu mission," Beckman said angrily.

"Diane, Diane." White shook her head. "I do apologize but time was of the essence and I couldn't get a hold of you. Honestly, a woman in your position should make yourself more available," White said sweetly. "And I have not forgotten that the Intersect team is yours, however, the substation is mine and as such, I can assign whoever I wish. As it so happens, the chief of station slot is open."

"This is a bad move, White."

"I don't think so, Diane. You know I have a special interest in Carmichael and I think Walker's presence will be good for him."

Beckman shook her head. "This is going to end badly."

White stood up to leave. "On the contrary, Diane, I think this will end quite happily for everyone concerned."

She smiled at Beckman. "Well, almost everyone."

* * *

Carmichael pushed through the front entrance of the non-descript building that housed CIA Substation Los Angeles. He was immediately greeted by Jennifer Lee, currently duty agent and the station's first line of defense.

"Good morning, Agent Carmichael," she said brightly.

Jennifer always seemed a bit bubbly for this line of work but she was an excellent agent and a crack shot.

"Good morning, Jennifer. Anything new today?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, there is. Our new chief of station is showing up this morning…"

Carmichael groaned to himself. A new chief of station was always a pain in the ass. Usually, it was some burnout just making time to retirement and they never seemed to understand that they were the boss in name only. Oh well, he would have an excellent understanding by lunchtime.

"…and get this! It's one of the CIA's top undercovers!"

Something about this was making Carmichael uncomfortable. "What?"

"Yeah! Sarah Walker! Can you believe it?" Suddenly, Jennifer's finger shot up to her earwig. "Oops, the surveillance guys said she just pulled in."

Jennifer got up and started straightening up, wanting to make a good impression. Sarah Walker. Wow!

Carmichael was confused. "I mean, why would Sarah…"

Jennifer looked up just in time to see Carmichael head back through the entrance_. Hmph, I guess he wants to give her a personal escort. She is awfully pretty._

Carmichael walked out into the parking lot just as Sarah was halfway across. _Sarah, what in the hell are you thinking? This is not going to work._

All of sudden, he felt his focus sharpen and that familiar all-powerful feeling wash over him as the Intersect came online. His hearing narrowed and isolated to a particular sound: a revving high performance engine and a squeal of tires.

Carmichael looked to his right just in time to see a Ford Mustang picking up speed and headed for Sarah. _Oh, crap!_

He switched his view back to Sarah. She wasn't seeing the car headed for her. _Crap, crap, crap._ Carmichael did not think he would have time to get to her. He screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Sarah!"


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N.:** I am not going to patronize everyone by apologizing for the long wait yet again. Like I said before, it is what it is, unfortunately. Okay, with that out of way, here is chapter 6. Enjoy and if you are feeling generous, you can donate a review or two. They're cheap.

This chapter is not beta'ed so any evil thoughts should be directed towards me.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chuck or anything else to which I might make a cultural reference.

* * *

Sarah Walker felt at home.

For the second time in her life and the first time since she left Burbank, she felt like she belonged. Sarah was beautiful and sophisticated, but most of that was a product of years of work by her and the CIA. In reality, she was an outsider, a geek. That is why, for all of her beauty, it still amazed her that someone like Chuck Bartowski could ever have loved her and she meant to earn that love back.

That is what made the discovery of the iPod such an unexpected and pleasant surprise. Chuck had given it to her before Intersect 2.0 and filled it with songs that reminded him of her and, hopefully, her of him. Next to his mother's charm bracelet, it had been one of the most precious gifts that Chuck had given her. Before she left Burbank, she had carefully tucked it and the bracelet into the console of her Porsche before putting it into long term storage. That way, all of her most prized possessions were in one spot waiting for her when she got back.

As soon as she got her car out of storage, Sarah immediately dug for the bracelet and also found the iPod. Somehow, she had forgotten all about it but it had been her constant companion ever since.

Even now, as she walked across the parking lot to her new job as Chief of Station for CIA Substation Los Angeles, she was listening to the iPod, as she looked through the daily brief.

God, it was a beautiful day.

* * *

Giving himself a big boost, Carmichael was off like a shot. He didn't know why Sarah did not seem to be aware of the car but he knew he had to get to her. The Intersect calculated his intercept vector. Carmichael wasn't going to make it. Again, he boosted. In a fraction of a second, with his legs already pumping like pistons, Carmichael became the fastest human being in history.

With new performance data flowing to the Intersect, it calculated a new vector. _Damn it! Still not going to make it._ Time to pull out the stops.

Shutting out the world, Carmichael turned within himself. Mentally, he let himself through a backdoor. A door that led to the Intersect's system configuration. It was an area he was not supposed to know existed, however he had spent many, many hours in a yoga-like trance probing at the off-limit areas of the Intersect until he found the backdoor. A backdoor, once opened, that gave Carmichael super-user access to the Intersect.

Carmichael scanned the configuration until he found the parameter he was looking for, BOOST_LIMIT, and erased it. He uploaded the new configuration…

…and boosted.

It felt like time slowed down for Carmichael relative to the rest of the world. Had he been able to focus on anything other than Sarah Walker, he would have seen individual dust motes slowly floating through the air alongside insects that lazily flapped their wings as they made their way to their destinations.

Had he been able to concentrate on something other than Sarah's safety, Carmichael also would have noticed the massive amount of strain on his muscles and joints. He would have felt the chest pains as his heart was pushed beyond its limits and his throbbing head as his blood pressure skyrocketed.

Carmichael noticed none of this because he now had the speed to do what he needed to do…

…save Sarah…

…almost there…

…need a little bit more…

…just a bit…

…it won't hurt…

…even if it does…

…it'll be worth it…

…to save Sarah…

Carmichael boosted again and leapt into the air.

Sarah heard a guttural cry over the music emanating from her earbuds and looked up in time to see Carmichael flying through the air towards her.

Shocked by what she was seeing and having no reference, she giddily thought for a split second…_Damn, he can fly too?_

A split second was all Sarah had to think as Carmichael passed behind her, grabbing her around the waist. She was snatched off of her feet suddenly by Carmichael's momentum. Carmichael twisted his body so that he made contact with the rough pavement first, cushioning Sarah's landing with this body. The Mustang missed them by inches.

Carmichael's leather jacket was shredded to pieces as they slid to a stop. In one fluid motion, he slid Sarah off and flipped over her into a crouch, his MK23 out. Unfortunately, the Mustang fish-tailed around the corner and was gone. Immediately, Carmichael was up and flashed on urban ninja skills figuring he could catch the car. He pushed off but before he could complete a dozen steps, he became faint and considerable pain flared in his chest for an instant until the Intersect pain suppression kicked in. Still in shock, Sarah looked up in time to see Carmichael collapse.

"CHUCK!" _Oh my God…_

Before she could reach him, several agents swarmed around him. Surveillance had called an agent down. One of the agents spoke into his radio. "It's Carmichael. He appears to be in some sort of cardiac distress. Tell Doc we'll be there in 1 minute. Somebody call Colonel Casey."

Sarah was left staring as the agents hustled Carmichael through the doors of the building.

* * *

Casey walked through the entrance to the Chief of Station's office. Sarah was behind her desk, head in her hands.

"How is he?"

Sarah looked up. "I don't know. The doctor is still in with him."

"What happened?"

She shook her head. "I didn't see much. Agent Lee reviewed the surveillance video and it appears someone tried to run me down. Late model black Mustang, no tags. LAPD and the state police put out a BOLO but I don't expect much."

"Agent Lee said that Chuck just appeared out of nowhere. When I saw him, it was like he was flying. He saved me but then he collapsed."

Casey started to speak when an agent poked his head in the door. "Colonel Casey, Doc said he would like to see you downstairs…now."

Casey sighed. "Come on, Walker. If Carmichael did what I think he did, I'm about to get an ass chewing and you get to watch."

* * *

As Casey and Sarah walked down the stairs into Camelot, she saw an older man with dark hair sitting in a chair playing with a pencil. He was dressed in jeans and boots with the latter kicked up on the table. As soon as the man saw them, he swung his feet off of the table and stood up.

Casey put his hand up. "Stop. First, how is he and what's wrong with him?"

The man spoke quietly and with a slight southern accent. "Well, he experienced atrial fibrillation and he'll be fine." His voice started to rise. "This time."

He glanced at Sarah. "Can I speak freely?"

Casey nodded. "Yeah, this is former Intersect team member and current Chief of Station, Sarah Walker. Walker, this is Dr. Leonard Henry, our Intersect doctor."

Dr. Henry turned to Sarah with a bow and a smile, his southern accent seemingly thicker. "Agent Walker, a pleasure to finally meet you. Call me Doc."

Casey thought he had gotten out of his ass chewing when Doc spun around. _Shit_.

"You want to know what's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. Agent goddamn Carmichael tried to kill himself again. I swear to God, I'm going to have his mule-headed ass shoved in a bunker."

Casey winced. "Look, Doc, what do you want me to do?"

"Keep his ass under control, that's what I expect you do. He could have had a stroke. Is that what you want…a half paralyzed, drooling Intersect? Fat lot of good he'll do the world then." Doc could feel the vein in his forehead starting to pulsate."

Sarah walked between Doc and Casey. "Would somebody mind telling me what's going on? I've been out of the loop awhile."

Doc gestured to Casey with a dismissive wave. "You do it. I'm too pissed."

Casey sat down. "Boosting works by pushing adrenaline and several other hormones into the host's system and by manipulating the body's electrical signals. It was recognized early on that an agent could do harm to himself by boosting too much so Intersect 2.0 was designed with safety protocols limiting how much an agent can boost."

Casey tapped the table beside him. _Man, what I wouldn't give for a cigar._ "Carmichael discovered a way to bypass the protocols and boost as much as he wants."

Sarah stared at him. "Are telling me, Chuck's _hacked_ the Intersect?"

Casey nodded. "Pretty much."

"And he's done this before?"

Casey's eyes strayed from Sarah's "Once or twice."

Doc spoke up. "Four times to be exact."

Casey threw Doc an evil glance. "Okay, _four_ times, but never like this apparently."

Sarah looked at Doc. "And what can over-boosting do to him?"

Doc grimaced. "Oh, whole bunch of nasty things. Torn muscles, broken joints, stroke, brain hemorrhage, heart explodes…want me to go on?"

"And today, he had some kind of heart issue?"

"Atrial fibrillation. Basically, part of your heart is beating faster than the other…almost quivering. It is not typically lethal but it can cause blood clots in the heart which can then break loose and cause a stroke. He's lucky. It could have been a lot worse. I have him on a drip to convert his heart to a normal rhythm and on a blood thinner to make sure he doesn't clot up."

Doc shook his head. "Dumbass also severely strained every muscle in his body. Good thing the Intersect does pain suppression. Otherwise, the pain would be so severe, I'd probably have to keep him knocked out."

Casey looked up. "Are you going tell Beckman?"

Doc snorted. "Damn straight, I'm going to tell her. What universe did you wake up in this morning? Somebody has got to straighten him out. It doesn't look like you can."

"He's a grown man…what do you want me to do?"

"John, you are his best friend, his only friend. He listens to you. Talk to him, convince him, hit him with a two by four to get his attention if you have to." Doc turned to Sarah. "Or maybe the lovely Agent Walker can talk to him. Carmichael has quite the thing for you."

Sarah blushed. "What do you mean?"

Doc frowned. "Agent Walker, don't play coy with me. Besides being the Intersect's personal physician, I also do his mandatory psych counseling. I know the whole story."

Sarah just stared at the ground, saying nothing.

Doc smirked. "Okay then. I think I will take advantage of the awkward silence and go check on Agent Dumbass. I'll let you two know when you can see him."

He took Sarah's hand. "Glad you're here, Sarah. I think you being here will be good for him. Talk to you in a bit."

Sarah went to follow Doc up the stairs. Casey called her back. "Walker, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Casey watched Doc until he went out the door at the top of the stairs and then switched his gaze to Sarah. "Okay, Walker, what the hell happened out there? Where was your situational awareness? I actually got a quick look at the video myself. You didn't even see the car."

Sarah looked at her feet, embarrassed. "I was looking at the daily brief."

"Okay, that accounts for your eyes. What about your ears?" asked Casey.

"I was listening to my iPod," mumbled Sarah.

Casey's eyes narrowed. "Could you speak up? I thought you said you were listening to an iPod."

Sarah turned around and threw her hands up. "I was! Chuck gave me an iPod a long time ago and I was listening to it. Fucking sue me! Don't I get to be a normal girl sometimes?"

Casey was starting to orbit his angry center. "No, you do not get to be normal because you are not normal. You are Sarah Walker, the best spy on the planet, so starting acting like it!" he snapped. "And you may not be an official member of the team but by virtue of your position and knowledge, you are once again one of the Intersect's protectors. That being the case, I can't have you floating around like a lovestruck teenager. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Sarah muttered.

"What?"

"I said yes! I understand! It won't happen again," said Sarah.

Casey grunted. "Good. See that it doesn't. Now, come on, let's go see if your boyfriend's awake. I'd like to figure out what the hell is going on."


End file.
